Fennel has become a favorite of mine over the past few years. Especially in salads. I didn't however until very recently know that some consider there to be a "female" and a "male" Fennel. There are conflicting reports as to which is which - in this video the chef claims female bulbs are really round, the male ones are flatter. In this NY Times piece the opposite assertion is made by Italian cooking teacher Marcella Hazan - "Fennel with a flattened bulb is the female and is supposed to have more flavor than the rounded male bulb." Meanwhile here fennel is claimed to be an hermaphrodite, making the notion of a female or male fennel bulb a physical impossibility, and dismissing the claim of superior bulbs as an old wives' tale. So much for the internet eh ?
I have noticed sometimes Fennel is harder and more bitter or sweeter - depending on bulb size. The last person referenced here says "The best fennel bulbs to purchase are the ones that look like a young wife's tail, i.e. firm, rounded, plump, and heavy for its size. Elongated, shaft-like bulbs are usually stringier and less succulent -- not because they are male, but because they come from a plant that has passed out of its juvenile phase or represent a regressive "Sicilian" genotype."
Meanwhile here is a recipe from Gourmet magazine that they call "unusual" followed by one found in the referenced NY Times article
Dama Bianca - Woman in White - Fennel and Celery Salad
Serves 6 / Start to Finish 20 minutes
2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks discarded
6 pale inner (white) celery stalks, leaves discarded and stalks thinly sliced
1 (1/2-lb) ball buffalo mozzarella (optional), roughly torn
1/2 tablespoon grated lemon zest (preferably from an unwaxed organic lemon)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons good-quality fruity extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Halve fennel lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise about 1/4 inch thick.
Toss with celery and arrange on a platter with mozzarella.
Whisk together zest, juice, oil, sea salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and drizzle over salad.
Recipe by Ursula Ferrigno
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Spaghetti With Fresh Fennel
(Adapted from ''Bugialli on Pasta,'' Simon & Schuster, 1988)
Preparation time: 35 minutes, including soaking / Cooking time: 50 minutes / Yield: 4 to 6 servings
1 medium-size fennel bulb with leaves
about 1 1/4 pounds 1 1/2 pounds fresh ripe or drained canned plum tomatoes
1 cup lukewarm water
Salt
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound spaghetti, preferably imported.
1.Trim the tough outer layer and stems from the fennel. Chop the bulb and leaves into one-inch pieces and put in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.
2.Dice the tomatoes and place in a saucepan. Drain the fennel and add it, along with the cup of lukewarm water and salt to taste. Simmer 30 minutes. Puree in a food mill or processor.
3.Heat the olive oil in a medium-size skillet. Add red pepper flakes and oregano and saute one minute. Add the tomato and fennel puree and simmer 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4.Bring a large kettle of salted water to a boil; add the spaghetti and cook, until just barely al dente (about eight minutes). Drain the pasta, transfer it to the sauce in the skillet, increase the heat and cook about a minute, mixing the pasta with the sauce. Serve at once.
